UGANDA

COMPENDIUM OF CONFLICTS IN UGANDA
Over time, Obote
and Amin came into
conflict with one
another. This caused
discontent amongst
the Nubian and West
Nile elements in the
army, and ultimately
sparked the 1971 coup
d’état that toppled
Obote’s government.
Favouritism in the
army subsequently
became a vicious cycle
as Amin favoured
the Nubians and his
West Nile cohorts
over other ethnic
groups, which caused
the loss of innocent
blood and prompted
the Liberation War of
1979. 118
The Obote II
Government that came
to power in 1980 also
exhibited favouritism
towards the Langi over other groups - including the Acholi, who eventually toppled
Obote’s Government. 119 Participants from all the districts included in the NRTJ Audit
said that the incumbent Government might suffer similar consequences, because ethnic
favouritism in the army and other sectors has led to a national outcry. They emphasised
that the failure of Ugandan leaders to learn from mistakes committed by past leaders is
detrimental to national unity and sustainable peace in Uganda.
13. Killing of Okoya (25 th January 1970)
Numerous events and wrongs committed in the post-colonial period remain critically
important to different communities in Uganda. To the Acholi ethnic community, one of
the most haunting of such events was the mysterious killing of Brigadier Pierino Yere
Okoya and his wife during a visit to his home village in Gulu District in 1970. 120 The
couple’s murder at the hands of an unknown assassin exacerbated tension between
Acholi and Langi soldiers within the national army, especially as a proper investigation
118 Ibid
119 Research conducted in Hoima and Mukono Districts
120 Phares, M. (1992) Uganda since independence, a story of unfulfilled hopes. Kampala, Fountain Publishers
Ltd.
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